[Deb109]

Is anyone aware of any sort of scam when tenants pay 1 months rent and deposit and then never move in and can't be contacted? I know it sounds strange but not really sure what to do as tenants have contract

[Bluey]

Might be a question for a more specialist landlord forum such as the one at landlordzone.co.uk

Did you perform tenant screening because if you did you'd be able to get hold of them through their employer, next of kin, their previous address or the contact info they provided!

Have they moved their belongings in? Are they in rent arrears now? Did they pay by cheque, claiming to be overseas, which is a sure sign of a scam? If so, google 'cheque overpayment scam.'


It could be something innocent - they've gone on holiday between moving to different addresses or something worse - they've been arrested, they rented the property to use as a cannabis farm or they are professional tenants (waiting for you to break housing law to sue you for compensation). Have you protected their deposit in a Tenancy deposit scheme?

Need more info to help you but if you haven 't screened your tenants, god knows who you've let in (and you can't get the property back for 6 months if they pay rent, and at least a few months because of the legal process for possession if they get 2 months in arrears.).

[CNH]